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Director of Finance and PolicyPhil Arnold presented the revised budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2003-2004. The budget is premised on maintaining core services to our clients. In order to maintain these services in a year of local deficits and declining State revenues, the department has sought to maximize outside revenues, minimize program cost increases and generate savings in the current-year budget which can be used as a credit against Fiscal Year 2003-2004 reduction targets.
Gerald Robbins, with Community Housing Partnership, spoke to the need for employment and training funds.
Sondra Felix-Ashman, with South of Market Child Care, urged the Commission to continue it support of the Wages Plus Program.
Marie Jobling, with Planning for Elders, urged the Commission to support the improvement of the In Home Supportive Services Program.
Margaret Baran, with the In Home Supportive Services Consortium, urged the Commission to continue its support of the In Home Supportive Services Program.
Donna Calame, with the In Home Supportive Services Public Authority, urged the Commission to continue supporting the IHSS Independent Providers.
Michael Kwok, with the In Home Supportive Services Public Authority, urged continued support of the IHSS Program.
Joe Wilson, with Coleman Advocates and the Coalition for Ethical Welfare Reform, urged community involvement in the development of budget priorities and expressed concerns re the budget proposal.
Salvador Menjivar, with Hamilton Family Center, described the hardships the proposed budget will impose on the non-profit community.
Merrill Buice, with the San Francisco Human Services Network, urged the Commission to send the Mayor a strong message of support for maintaining services.
Miguel Wooding, with the Eviction Defense Collaborative, voiced his concerns re the proposed budget cuts and urged the Commission to maintain services.
Flo Nagar, with Childcare Professionals, spoke in support of the Wages Plus Program.
Commissioner Martinez moved, and the motion was seconded, to amend the department's budget message to include a list of preferences that are required to provide the services that the department needs to provide for the citizens of San Francisco.
Commissioner Yamasaki suggested the budget be sent forward with our concerns as generally stated and with the notation that at some future date more specific recommendations would be provided.
Discussion followed, and Commissioner Martinez restated her motion, as follows: To send the budget forward with the message that the Commission would like to see some of the things that are currently in our budget not cut and those items will be expressed as preferences. Some of the things that we would see as traditional addbacks, we would like to express those also as preferences. And some of the things that as in Prop N it came about as an initiative - we would like to see full funding for those preferences. The sense is, we really need to present a budget that reflects what we need to do our job here in San Francisco. And that we convey that sense with this budget as we send it along and that we will provide the particulars at a future date.
The motion was carried.
On motion by Commissioner Yamasaki, seconded and carried, the Commission approved the Department of Human Services Fiscal Year 2003-2004 Budget as proposed.
Commissioner Yamasaki moved, and the motion was seconded for the purpose of discussion, to approve the Contingency Budget Reduction Plan as proposed.
Discussion disclosed that the contingency plan is not due at the Mayor's Office until March 15, 2003.
On motion by Commissioner Yamasaki, seconded and carried by a vote of 3 to 1 with Commissioner Martinez casting the dissenting vote, the Commission elected to table the discussion relative to the Contingency Budget Reduction Plan.
By general consent, it was agreed to consider the Contingency Budget Reduction Plan at the Commission's February 27, 2003 Regular Meeting. | 
